Before England’s ill-fated 2010 World Cup campaign, the Football Association took a gamble. It turned down Nationwide’s ‘money on the table offer’ to renew its sponsorship of the England team, gambling on the fact that the deal would be worth more following a successful outing in South Africa.
Alas, we all know what happened – or, rather, what didn’t happen on the pitch. As a result, the FA has struggled to find a new sponsor for the team. Expected any day now is the news that Vauxhall will be the team’s new sponsor. The finances probably won’t be revealed, but it’s expected that £5million per annum will be there or thereabouts.
£5million per annum is also the amount being sought by the English Cricket Board for sponsorship of England Test match cricket following the news that npower, sponsors since 2001, have declined to pay a 25% hike on their existing contract, despite enjoying the enormous additional interest generated when England won the Ashes at the Oval in 2005 (see below).
The ECB has taken the same gamble as the FA – that England would win. The stunning Ashes victory down under has paid off – so far.
Now all the ECB has to do is capitalise on the nation’s euphoria and the growing belief that England can go on to become the best cricket team in the world over the next 4 years. That’s the timescale of the next sponsorship contract, in which there will be two home Ashes series, in 2013 and 2015.
So, what type of brands will the ECB be reaching out to? Immediate thoughts gravitate towards an essentially British brand, popular with the predominantly male audience which favours Test cricket. Or, perhaps, a largely unknown brand (like Cornhill was when it became Test match sponsor in 1978) wishing to establish itself in the UK marketplace and, to a lesser extent, in Test match-playing countries through overseas television coverage.
Several brand categories are off limits, however. Brit Insurance sponsors the England team and this precludes any other B2B insurance brand. Likewise, the England team already has deals with Marston’s (but a lager brand would be OK), Jaguar, Buxton and FTI (making the likes of PwC, KPMG and Accenture off limits). Retail banking is out as well because of NatWest’s long and on-going association with English cricket.
The ECB is inviting ‘expressions of interest’ from any brands interested in the proposition.
Interestingly, the Board may find that international brands may take up the invitation. Test match cricket in England would be a good vehicle for an Indian, Middle East or Far East brand wanting to establish itself in the UK market. Indian groups such as Reliance and Tata may be interested for one or more of their brands. Indeed, a Tata brand – Jaguar – is already involved with the England Team.
With the sums being sought, the ECB may find itself eyeing foreign investment. But how will England cricket supporters react if Test matches in this country are sponsored by, say, RelianceMart? Sounds daft, but it just might happen.
By Karen Earl on January 11th, 2011
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